Exclusive

Judge Greg Mathis has been on a mission to win back his wife, Linda, after she filed for divorce this summer -- and it looks like all his hard work has finally paid off!

Linda was right by Greg’s side as they spilled the happy news to TMZ ... and it’s clear from their lovey-dovey body language and his sweet kiss on her cheek their romantic reconciliation is definitely in full swing.

Greg shared some serious wisdom, saying that sometimes God has to break you down to lift you back up -- something he clearly believes happened for him in getting Linda back in his arms.

Michael Smerconish broke down what he means by referring to 2 of TV’s greatest hits to make his political point about the presidential election -- voters are generally locked in on their completely different choices -- and their equal popularity has this race up in the air.

The CNN host joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday ... and he says the liberal "Ted Lasso" fans versus conservative "Yellowstone" diehards comparison highlights the differences in style in popular preference between the candidates -- and no matter which way you slice the data, there's no clear projected winner before Election Day next week.

Watch the full video 'cause Michael dives deeper into the comparison ... and he even dishes on what it says about our guy Charles, a big fan of both shows.

Kurt Busch has pled guilty to a criminal charge of driving while impaired, TMZ Sports has learned.

An Iredell County, N.C. court official tells us the former NASCAR champion entered the plea on Wednesday.

The official says in exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the reckless driving and speeding charges he was facing in the case.

Judge Mathis says Erik and Lyle Menendez deserve to be free men ... telling us new evidence they were allegedly molested by the father they killed totally changes things.

We got the TV judge Thursday at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, and our photog asked him about the Menendez brothers and their bid to get out of prison after nearly 35 years behind bars.

Judge Mathis says if he was handling their resentencing case, he would reduce the length of their punishment on account of the molestation claims and send them home ASAP.

The World Series title has come with an added bonus for the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned two strip clubs in Los Angeles are now offering them free VIP access for LIFE following the big win!

Frankie, the owner of 4Play The Gentlemen's Club and Plan B in West L.A., tells us ... following the Boys in Blue's takedown of the Yankees in Game 5 of the Fall Classic -- he's giving them an epic hookup at his two joints.

Frankie says every player on the team will get an exclusive Black VIP card that will allow them free admission and free VIP booth seating for as long as they live.

Comedian Peng Dang is weighing in on Tony Hinchcliffe's offensive Puerto Rico "garbage" joke, telling TMZ he's hardly shocked -- especially given their rocky past.

Peng tells TMZ he sees a clear pattern with Tony, drawing parallels to his own experience 3 years ago when Hinchcliffe launched into a racist rant against him -- telling us this offensive style is just Tony's schtick -- and that he'll keep it up, and will brush off the backlash as "cancel culture."

You gotta check out the whole clip ... Peng goes deep on the similarities to his own experience, and you can tell it still gets under his skin. The rant ended up costing Hinchcliffe his representation at the time.

Gayle King says Malia Obama doesn't need her father's famous last name to make it in Hollywood ... because her work speaks for itself.

We got Gayle in New York City on Thursday and our photog asked her about Malia dropping Obama from the credits in her movies and rolling with her first and middle names.

Malia wants people to focus on her art and not her Obama heritage.

Gisele Bündchen is taking it easy until her bundle of joy arrives ... the supermodel has put work on pause until after she gives birth to her baby with Joaquim Valente, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Gisele shot some projects all the way up until early October ... but has since taken a step back from work to focus on her pregnancy.

There's no clear timeline on when Gisele plans to return to modeling ... but we're told she has every intention to wait until she's 100% ready to get in front of the camera again.

Snoop Dogg's diving into the holi-daze ... featuring prominently in the expanded "Snoop on the Stoop" collection so that fans can bring home their own version of the rap legend.

Spencer's Gifts is hawking the collection -- inspired by the viral "Elf on the Shelf" phenomenon ... but, with the smiling elf replaced by the West Coast rapper.

Check out the merchandise ... Snoop's woven into a Christmas sweater bearing the words "Merry Chrismizzle," waiting to be hung on the tree in a red convertible ornament, sitting atop a dog house on a mug, and overall just vibing for the holidays.

Beyoncé is getting backup from her father, Mathew Knowles, after Donald Trump ripped her for not singing at a Kamala Harris rally.

Trump roasted Queen Bey on Wednesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin ... telling his supporters both Beyoncé and Kamala Harris were met with boos at the VP's Houston rally after Bey didn't perform.

However, Beyoncé's dad, who was at the Houston event last Friday, begs to differ ... telling TMZ, "I can unequivocally say no one was booing. That's just a lie."

Damien Leone says his new slasher flick "Terrifier 3" is going to spark a horror film renaissance in Hollywood ... predicting his box office success will convince the major studios to loosen up.

The "Terrifier 3" director joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked him about all the blood and gore in his killer clown slasher.

Moviegoers have been vomiting and leaving theaters early due to the unrated film's graphic scenes ... and he tells us that's actually good for business ... similar to the release of the original "Exorcist" back in the day.

The Los Angeles and e-streets have been crowning a new people's champ in rapper Big Sad 1900 ... the up-and-comer's buzz has been erupting in the city adjacent to Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, The Creator's blockbuster years!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Big Sad caught up with in Bev. Hills this week ... DJ Akademiks and several other rap hubs have been heavily spreading the gospel that he's the one to watch in the City of Angels.

Big Sad's videos have been racking up thousands of views and he even admits to seeing all the Internet chitter-chatter ... but still won't feed into the hype and say he's better than Kendrick, Tyler, nor the late Nipsey Hussle!!!

Josh Altman is sold on a new chapter, as he and his realtor wife, Heather Altman, are exiting "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" ... TMZ has learned.

Production sources tell TMZ … the couple decided to leave the Bravo show after season 15 -- which aired earlier this summer -- choosing to spend more time with their kids ... without cameras around all the time.

Josh and Heather became staples on the reality hit, selling over $7 billion worth of real estate while on the show. Of the pair, Heather was the first to join 'MDLLA' ... she initially appeared on the show's 3rd season in 2008.

TMZ Sports has obtained police video of Patrick Mahomes Sr.'s June traffic stop ... and unlike his February run-in with cops, it all appeared to go smoothly for the father of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes II.

We broke the story ... Mahomes Sr. was pulled over at around 8:30 PM back on June 29 in Tyler, Texas -- less than five months after he was arrested for DWI in the same city -- following claims he had committed a traffic violation.

Body cam footage shows that after an officer stopped him ... Mahomes Sr. was surprised to learn he had apparently broken the rules of the road.

The Menendez brothers are on a roll lately with a possible chance at future freedom -- and TMZ has the low-down on what could be their final Halloween in the slammer.

A source within the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Erik and Lyle are all set for a Halloween movie night in the clink, where they’ll likely be cozying up to the OG 1990 version of Stephen King's "IT."

We're told the bros and their cell block buddies at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego are whipping up a classic prison treat for the occasion -- "candy salad," which is basically a mixed bag of every candy available in the commissary thrown into one giant bowl.

The Menendez brothers' childhood home isn't known as the "murder house" anymore ... with famed realtor Josh Flagg crediting Ryan Murphy's drama for the successful rebrand.

We caught up with the "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" star outside Craig's in West Hollywood Tuesday, where he shared his 2 cents on the infamous siblings' former abode ... and how its reputation has changed in recent months.

As Josh put it ... he doesn't think it will be hard for the current sellers to offload the mansion for $25 million if they wanted to, given the renewed interest in the case, thanks to Ryan's Netflix series, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."